When deciding on whether to learn a new language or not, you think to yourself: “is it really worth my time, money and energy?” Globally, German is not that widely spoken. However, there are many valid points as to why you should invest your time in learning German! Knowing German opens many doors in the economic sector, after all, Germany is nicknamed “the motor of Europe“.

So, why should you learn German?

If you are an English speaker, you will find German fairly easy to learn due to the similarities of both languages.

It has been said that Germany is the language of the “poets and thinkers”, so why not immerse yourself in this culture?

Germany has some of the best universities worldwide, so learn German and study in Germany!

Germany has such a powerful economy, the country is extremely economically driven.

Whether you’re a beginner or an intermediate German speaker, Babbel will tailor to your level.

Babbel’s lessons are made up of different aspect to learn the language properly, such as learning new vocabulary words and grammar methods.

Each quiz takes around 10-15 minutes to complete, depending on your level and knowledge of German, if you’re more advanced, you’ll finish the quiz faster, and once you’re finished, you’ll get a grade out of 58.

Babbel: An easy way to learn German from your Smart Phone or iPad (Source: Babbel)

The lesson plan, which accompanies the quiz is extremely well organised. You are given a detailed explanation on the lesson, for example, “How to order in a restaurant”, and you then answer some questions. It is exceptionally interactive and you can choose from a wide range of topics to learn from.

Whether you learn better by writing, listening, reading or speaking, Babbel is right for you! It addresses real-life topics that are relevant in your day-to-day life and situations which you may find yourself in, in Germany.

How much is Babbel?

For all the perks and benefits and to make sure you’ll finish as a pro in German, it costs $13 per month. This isn’t cheap, but it will be worth it in the end! Am I right or am I right?!

Learning German with Anki

Anki was released only 4 months ago but has already become very successful. Its name, “Anki” means “memorisation” in Japanese, which is a perfect name as this app makes learning German easy through memorising vocabulary. Its excellent flash card and sound feature make learning German vocabulary fun.

Advantages:

Anki is perfect for enhancing your level in German for the long run.

Anki is available to download on Google Play, Android, and iOS, so whatever phone or tablet you may have, you’ll be able to download the app.

It is available to use on the web, if your phone or tablet is in repair, don’t worry! You can still access Anki on your computer or laptop.

You can use Anki’s own flashcards or you can create your own.

Learn German by memorising flash cards with Anki (Source: https://apps.ankiweb.net/)

Disadvantages:

The user-made flashcards sometimes have errors, which is not ideal as you won’t know which are correct and which are wrong.

Creating your own flashcards is very time-consuming, you’re missing out on valuable time.

German Lessons with Duolingo

Duolingo was launched in 2011 and is available in 23 languages, including German. This app is geared mainly towards intermediate speakers in German.

Duolingo: a great online language-learning platform for advanced German learners (Source: www.duolingo.com)

Like Babbel and Rosetta Stone, Duolingo is also available to download on iOS and Android.

Duolingo is rather different to the traditional language-learning apps.

Accompanied by the translation exercises, Duolingo has dictation exercises, which will definitely improve your German listening and understanding of the language.

The exercises are short, so you can play just before going to bed, or whilst you’re waiting for the train. There is absolutely no pressure! You don’t need to dedicate too much time to Duolingo, but you can still significantly improve your level of the German language.

Duolingo has adopted a timed practice option, you are given 20 questions with 30 seconds to answer. This feature is perfect if you’re interested in doing a crash course in German.

Have you just finished your year abroad in Germany and just need to keep practicing? Then look no further and download Duolingo!

Unlike Babbel and Rosetta Stone, Duolingo is completely free! There are a few extras you can opt to pay for, like the timed practice option, but this is not compulsory.

Use Brainscape a your German Tutor

Founded in 2010, Brainscape allows you to study flashcards to learn German. The application lets you create and upload flashcards on all things to do with German. You also have access to other German learners flashcard’s, which is a great way to learn German and share your ideas.

Brainscape already has 2,200 German flash cards! Download this app to share your ideas and learn from others in the same boat as you (Source: www.brainscape.com)

Brainscape is such an intriguing way to learn German, it is different and will definitely to improve your confidence in German.

The brains behind this app have scientifically proven that repetitive flash cards enhance the speed at which you will learn German. You will notice results in no time.

Whether you’re an advanced German speaker or a beginner, Brainscape is suitable for you.

Enhance your knowledge of the German language and download Brainscape (Source: www.brainscape.com)

How to Learn German with FluentU

FluentU uses real-world videos, such as TV adverts, snippets from the news and music videos by turning them into German learning experiences. It has adopted a completely different method to the traditional app’s, such as the ones we have seen so far. It eases you into the German language and culture slowly and you’ll learn German exactly how it’s spoken in daily life in Germany.

It is available on iOS, but not yet on Android.

It has a wide range of cool videos, in a variety of fun topics.

You’re probably thinking that diving straight into German videos will be tough, but I can assure you, you’re wrong. FluentU makes watching German videos fun, learning German will become a hobby and will no longer be a chore.

FluentU keeps up to date with all the German vocabulary that you learn and suggests different videos you can watch that include words you have already learned. This enhances all your knowledge of the German vocabulary and makes your German learning experience personal to you.

Cheaper than most language learning apps out there, FluentU is $8 a month.

German Learning with Mosalingua

Launched in 2010, Mosalingua is now available for download on Android and iOS. This application is fairly different to the apps we have seen so far. It forces you to remember phrases and vocabulary by using a lot of flash cards along with a lot of repetition.

So, once you have learned new German vocabulary, you can memorise them over and over again until you feel fully confident with them.

How does it work?

When you click on the app, you complete a German language basic test for Mosalingua to gauge your level in German, and they then direct you to the right vocabulary lessons. It’s perfect as the app will be fully personalised to you.

Mosalingua allows you to record yourself saying a flash card and you can directly review and compare your pronunciation with the German native speaker’s pronunciation.

Mosalingua’s full version costs a small $5! So, there is absolutely no excuse to learn German.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are more than a handful of ways to learn German or to simply improve your level in German through your Smart Phone or Tablet. This means you can throw away your boring German grammar and reading books! We can all agree that learning boring repetitive German grammar rules can be extremely painful.

Whether you learn German better through vocabulary, fun games or videos, you will find an app or maybe two that are right for you!

So, I strongly recommend you download these German-language learning app’s and see which is one is right for you. Evidently, not every app is suitable for everyone and not everyone is ready to pay a monthly subscription fee. Everyone learns German in different ways!

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Daniela

Daniela is a writer and blogger passionate about discovering new subjects and spreading knowledge through the written word.